Should be a good run! 5 Shows in a row for you lucky Nor Cal Midnite fans! I was planning on driving down to CA and catching 4 of the 5 but of course my 4runner needs a new timing belt and water pump. Please let me know how the shows go. I am curious to see if they will open with Lion out of Zion.

2 and 3/4 hours of Midnite last night at the Miners Foundry in Nevada City. Nice venue, my first time there. Gotta get a nap in before tonights show at the Independent. Jubilees of Zion......Nice meeting EvanCR.

Great vibes last night. It had been almost 8 months since I saw them last which is the longest I've gone without a dose of Midnite live since 2006 (though at least I got to see Dezarie and Vaughn's spoken word sessions that year) so I was well ready. In addition to a bunch of boardies, Jordan was in the House, Kenyatta was in the house, Abja was in the house as was Iqulah.

The music was tight with Byron's light musical dashes complimenting Edmond's razor sharp guitar chops perfectly all night long. They did a MASSIVE version of "Jah Feed I" and I don't know what Ron and Vaugh were up to with that super-high falsetto singing during "Yu Claim." The music seemed more upbeat last night with my favorite tune having been "Living Inna Babylon" a song they were playing in 2004 that seemed to fall off the musical radar until recently.

"Rastaman a Soldier
We swim in a survival water
Man will function under stress and in a danger
Without foolishly loosing man temper
Engaging in counterproductive behavior"

A real nice turnout. Big Up to Sister Kat and the entire Oneness Sound family and RASpect to Jah Mikey One for the selections (I almost wanted the band to wait till 'We are the Rasta" was finished before starting). And the vibes move to the city for tonight's gathering:

Thanks Daniel for the review. I have not seen Midnite since September myself and I too are itching. Wanted to make the drive down to Nor Cal for this run of shows. After reading your great review I am even more dissapointed to have missed that. The two songs that stood out to you sound amazing as I am not sure I have caught either of those live. Have a blast in San Francisco tonight.

Ya that 'Rasta Living Inna Babylon' is one of my favorites too, the falsetto singing was different and cool, it had been since last july for me also, way too long. Abbreviated 'Due Reward', always makes me smile.

Awesome, Jah Ovah, Pagan Paygone, Lion wears the crown, ring out a chant, rastaman stand, closed the show with 'New Flower/Who built Jerusalem', with Vaughn sitting on the front of the stage singing to the crowd. One guy and his girl start talking to Vaughn, lecturing him or something. He barely sang anymore, just listened, while Ron played keys....Vaughn stood and gave a look that meant ?, gave his blessings and sat back down at the front of the stage while the song ended. We were all like, What was that? and what will happen now, but the show was over. Vaughn stayed and greeted those in attendance. I was blown away by how Vaughn was emotionally carried into the crowd, this a man who seems so far from himself while singing sometimes. What a true mensch, a man of the people. I won't miss the other two shows...

What an awesome show. Midnite is officially my new favorite live band. Those guys are truley a gifted group of musicians that hold a vibe tremendously. I will be sure to catch future shows for sure....

Quoteeast bay herbalist
What an awesome show. Midnite is officially my new favorite live band. Those guys are truley a gifted group of musicians that hold a vibe tremendously. I will be sure to catch future shows for sure....

Nothing better than a live Midnite show! They will be in Fairfax on saturday!

Quoteeast bay herbalist
What an awesome show. Midnite is officially my new favorite live band. Those guys are truley a gifted group of musicians that hold a vibe tremendously. I will be sure to catch future shows for sure....

Nothing better than a live Midnite show! They will be in Fairfax on saturday!

Why not! you are close if you live in the bay and like you said the vibes are amazing. You will see such a different set you will be blown away! I wish i lived in the bay still. I was trying to make it from OR for those shows but it didnt work out. Will be blessed with 3 shows in 3 nights mid april. But still so far away.

Big session last night. At one point hey did a string of tunes that qualifies as some of my favorite Midnite selections:

Love Right (Live Right):
"Our emotions are letters of urgency
We don’t stop check nor bother to read
You can’t search ina the pulpit nor the University
Just deal with internal scrutiny
I man a say love right, live right, love right, live right
Yeah everything is gonna be alright
If I and I love right and I live right"

Ring Out A Chant:
"Ring out a chant Ithiopia
Upon the fireside flute
Of a mountain range
Ring out a chant for the strong-hearted soldier
Steadfast upon the king I hail"

Freedom:
"One thing a man willing to die for is freedom
One thing the youth man and the mother cry alike for, freedom
The people of the world gonna always have to cry till freedom comes
Hold on unitl it comes, until freedom comes"

Lion Wears The Crown:
"Every time they hear the word campaign
They see Hannibal crossing the Alps again
In Washington DC New York and in
Germany and in London
Did you see the obelisk of Axum in
front of the Vatican Oh God
Bring my daughters, bring my sons
I know that the day will come
Lion wear the crown
Lion wear the crown"

Ras To The Bone:
"Youth man know you self
Straight to the bone
Manifest you covenant
Let it be known
I man a say hey
Judah as the Lion I
Rule with Jah alone
If them reject Jah I stamp them
Destination unknown
To the bone
To the bone
Rasta to the bone
Rasta to the bone"

A day of respite for me (while they trod to Tahoe for tonight) before moving onto Fairfax tomorrow night..... ! Glad you enjoyed the vibes EBH

I went to bed thinking about Midnite on stage in Fairfax. I dreamed they were playing High places of Anu. Lol. Actually I fell asleep with my headphones on and I know I was listening to What makes a King. Anyway I wanted to see how the show went. What's that venue like in Fairfax ? Santa Cruz tonight.

19 Broadway is a small bar, packed, audience was more respectful than i thought, not too much talking. 1 hour 45 minutes last night, sound trouble during first song which i think was Zion Pavilion, the mics went dead. They played Listen, Mongst I and I/Black Mamba (the more i hear this the more i like it), Proceed, Roll Call, Meditation, didn't play High Places of Anu. Warm up by Luv Fyah and Binghi Ghost was nice. I was posted up on the edge of the stage, sound seemed decent and i got some good video. Gonna need a serious nap to make Santa Cruz this evening.....

Leave it to 19 Broadway to turn a musical communion from Midnite into a 95 minute experience. Contrary to what Nomo posted, I thought the sound was terrible. Even when they DID manage to get the lead mic working, it still sounded pretty awful.

For the second consequetive time that Midnite played at 19 Broadway, the sound boy kept the band standing on stage waiting while he continued to play tune after tune. The first time it lasted for about 15 minutes. Fortunately, it was a tad shorter last night. But I DID get to hear the 3 crucial selections that were absent from the Independent's "these are my favorite songs" set list (Don't Move, Ras For A Reason & Roll Call)......

I totally agree with you Daniel about the sound issues, the selectas running tunes to long, and cutting off a band that was really just getting warmed up. I got my ticket the day before for 25 but were they selling at the door for $40?! Then they cut the show short..wack!

Loved Zion pavilion / papillon, roll call was a highlight, mongst I and I was good, it was my first time hearing that live, was the tempo a little off? Overall it was a good show with a pretty good vibe. A mix of folks who are really down and know midnite deep, and a bunch of party crew who are more Interested in talking then watching the show, or just walking back and forth the whole Show.

What I went to bed wondering was what 5-6 other songs were they going to play? I think midnite left feeling a little perplexed with... That's all they want?!

Being at the edge of the stage i may have heard more stage sound. One thing i don't understand about those who book midnite is why schedule any other act for the evening? The band seems to want to play for up to three hours, they are who the fans came for, let em play! I thought 19 Broadway was open til 2 am, when i got back to the car it was still 1.45...And the band played for an hour and 45 mins..So they came on at midnight? Bad planning on someone's part. And the forty dollar ticket price, wow, haven't seen that in awhile. Hearing the selector play another tune or two when the band was obviously ready was whack. Hopefully a nice long session in Santa Cruz this evening.

Very sorry to hear about the Fairfax show. I had friends that went to that show and it was their first Midnite experience. They did not go on thursday night because they had work early friday and opted for this show. Too bad. Still I am sure they enjoyed the vibes. I will find out later today,

What a difference a day makes, as I thought the Moes Alley show was the best of this run with (more) crucial selections: Mighty Race, Natty Watching You, Respeck Dem Een, Lonely Nights, Check Yu Self, Zimbabwe Walls, Bushman, Mongst I&I, Merciless/Grapes of Wrath, Old Robe, Force & Flame, Knocka Fya.

I got to witness 4 concerts in 5 nights. With the exception of Mongst I&I (which they played everynight) the only song they repeated was Cool Meditation...... !

"I got to witness 4 concerts in 5 nights. With the exception of Mongst I&I (which they played everynight) the only song they repeated was Cool Meditation...... !"

And that is one of the reasons i could go see them those same four nights. There were a few favorites i didn't hear, but many more songs i had never heard before. I'll have to review the tapes to say if i liked Moe's more than the Independent, but what a joy it will be finding out!

Wow, so the Independent and Moes stand out more than the Nevada City show? Glad that the last night was great! Knocka Fya, all the shows I have been to and never seen that song live. I heard them tune their instruments to it at the Nevada City show last year. I have watched your video Nomo on youtube, I think its the only recording I have ever seen of Knocka Fya.

"What a difference a day makes, as I thought the Moes Alley show was the best of this run with (more) crucial selections: Mighty Race, Natty Watching You, Respeck Dem Een, Lonely Nights, Check Yu Self, Zimbabwe Walls, Bushman, Mongst I&I, Merciless/Grapes of Wrath, Old Robe, Force & Flame, Knocka Fya. "

^^^^ That is a great run of songs. How was Grapes of Wrath/ Merciless? That is my favorite song live. Did they play Ina Now in the middle of it?

Moe's was packed, again. Show was pretty good, as Nomo would say. Not the greatest Midnite show ever, but a suitable Sunday evening of long, loud and slow reggae. I caught about 90 minutes (which is my current "stay on my feet after midnight" Midnite limit). Great Zimbabwe Walls was the highlight for me.

By my estimation, the average height of the audience was 6'4'' and weight about 260-280 lbs. Some very thick people in the house. Saw a few folks from these parts, but only across a very crowded dance floor. Could see Nomo's jaunty cap and video camera up in front. Meant to hail up Daniel right next to me for a minute, but I was lost in reverie and pounded by sound.

As a Midnite fan that sees them pretty much every run through the Central Coast, I kept thinking: "Midnite fans are like ice curling fans...willing to show up on a cold night to watch people push heavy stones, slowly, across a icy lake, while Ron furiously sweeps his bass with flurries of notes and Christian sweeps the cymbals. Eventually the stone glides to a dead stop, somewhere near the target circle. When it's close, the crowd erupts appreciatively."

And that's not a negative criticism. I am from Wisconsin and can appreciate a well-hurled rock.

Jahsprey, being from Alaska where the curlers certainly prepared for their practices with all the fervor of a midnite fan outside the venue before the show, although they imbibed a different product, i find your analogy to be pretty close....

And one of those 'thick' ladies decided that i needed some attention and began hitting me with her posterior everytime it swang my way, like every three seconds. When i realized it was punitive i gave her a little pushback, which got her attention, tapped her on the shoulder and asked if she could stop hitting me with her butt. She complained about something i couldn't hear but did stop her a$$ attack.

Jahsprey, where you from in Wisco? I hail from Milwaukee. Grew up there and lived back in town in 2006 and enjoyed a decent dancehall scene, pretty impressed moving back from the west coast for the year

Teachdem. MKE mi come from. The Villages Brown Deer and River Hills, to be exact. Nicolet High (aka "Nickelbag&quot '83. Been far gone since then, though, with the exception of a pleasant summer sojourn in Madison around 1990. Still make it back yearly to see the people and catch some fish.

Not much reggae/ska/rocksteady thereabouts these days, from what I hear.

Loved the Midnite shows! Caught the independent and the Fairfax shows. Kind of bummed about the brevity of the Fairfax gig...agree with nomo and others; although selector was good. Went on way too long. Midnite started ...well..at midnight. One hour and forty five is not enough for my taste. The set and the vibe was good from what I remember. Loved don't move, mongst I and I, and meditation...

Also not understanding or digging the interruption from audience member during las tune in sf. I get the passion,but I am there to listen to Vaughn and Ron and the band...

Sad not able to go to moes...had great time last time they played there!!(and at the shattuck down low, which was a pretty epic set) apparently missed bushman-one of my favorite of theirs. Overall I enjoyed the Fairfax set better, thought Vaughn was more energetic and eloquent. I had no beef with sound after first song, but I was also close to the stage.

Thanks for the videos everybody...when I saw that Midnite was doing this leg in NorCal I thought, clear the calendar and catch them all from grass valley to Tahoe and Santa Cruz. Then I regretfully settled on just sf and Fairfax.There are few things I'd rather do then enjoy their righteous music. Midnite is IMO the best,deepest, most real band out there....what a blessing!

Jahsprey, nice one...midwest vibes better than most people figure. I actually picked up selecting for the year I was back in town, joined the crew for Chalice in the Palace at the Roots basement, and also Club Timbuktu on center. Decent vibes, not sure how things run now. Only shows I caught while there was my last viewing of Culture, big ting, on the East side. mega banton at Timbuktu, and Sean Paul at the Eagles. Otherwise summerfest usually brings a bit of reggae. I remember seeing Damian Marley and Ghetto Youth crew way back in the day, they played during the day to a pretty sparse audience.

Im from Shorewood, graduated in 97, live in the bay area. Most of my fam has moved out to CA, so dont head back too much anymore, kind of miss it everynow and then?? Anyhow, big up yourself

teachdem,
Always will love the hot green sticky summer weather, waiting for a cool lake breeze with a cold beer in hand, watching the orange heat lightning on the horizon lighting up endless lines of cumulonimbus clouds, hopping on my old roadbike and grinding up to Port Washington, long afternoons on the Union Terrace in Madison, fishing with my dad. Good times, good place.

As Vaughn and many others have sung, Live the life you love, love the life you live. And so forth. Ites

Enough with the fan worship already. Haven't these guys had their fifteen minutes yet? Boring. Could we get onto some non grateful dead reggae for a bit? There are far better artists out there who get far less notice than these people.

This is a topic i'm interested in, obviously. Did you wake up on the redneck side of the bed this morning Fred? And what's wrong with a dead head? At least they were following something they loved Fred. Now be gone before someone drops a house on you! No one needs a cat taking a leak in the corner.

Fred, why the negative vibes? Not sure what why Midnite fans have upset you. No need to to throw hate our way. There are lots of threads on here. Why cant we talk about a band that we appreciate and enjoy? Its Friday and we are getting ever closer to SNWMF this June! Give thanks for that yeah?

I dont understand the Dead thing either? Never really listened to them. I went to a dark star show with my fiance because she does like the dead. Drawing blank of the venue in San Francisco but everyone was getting apples up top. Anyway, I felt like I was trapped in a psych ward or something. People walking the same box over and over around me. A guy passed out on me, and a few other in my general area. Security just came in with flash lights and dragged them away, like it happens a lot. Not my thing, so far from the Vibes of Midnite. Maybe he just means how loyal Midnite fans. Dead heads I have heard are very loyal to their favorite band.

HaHa, the Fillmore. Thank you Daniel. Was a bummer of a night. Was suppossed to see Dawn Penn but my Fiance pulled the I want to see this band and I always go see Midnite with you. I sadly missed out on Dawn Penn, and meeting Nomo. Anyways back to Midnite. My Children of Jah dub got mailed yesterday! That is really exciting! Looking forward to that one!

Rossta, i've seen Dark Star a couple times, enjoyed them immensely, but what they do is recreate a vibe which unfortunately is gone, Midnite creates a vibe. For me in my advanced age, most Grateful Dead music is like a thin chicken broth, while Midnite is like a thick comforting stew of life. That being said, there are still some live Jerry performances that afterwards you say wow was he playin the truth. Listen to the matrix of Jerry singing 'Sugaree' at the West High School Auditorium in Anchorage Alaska in 1981. Sick stuff.

But recording the Dawn Penn show was what got me invited to record 'The Jamaicans' at the end of December, they were both great shows.

Thank you Nomo as always for the videos! Your videos and the live show in San Diego I got to enjoy have helped curb the dissapointment of missing the CA shows. Got my timing belt and water pump done yesterday! (good thing I didnt make the drive my water pump was leaking bad and had caused the belt to really rot.) Next up for Midnite is 4/18 in Humboldt though 4/21 in Seattle. Humboldt drive wont work for me but I do have tickets for all 3 shows in Provolt, Portland and Seattle! Also have a new Zoom H2 in the mail! !!!